This invention relates to a resealable dispenser-container for wet tissues of a pop-up type wherein wet tissues are pulled out from the top of the dispenser-container.
Recently, wet tissues, i.e., fibrous materials, such as non-woven fabric, or gauze, impregnated with toilet water or cleaning solution including alcohol, moisturing agent or surfactant and so on, have been utilized widely for cleansing make-up, cleaning skin or wiping stains in a kitchen, for example, stains around a gas range or stains in a refrigerator.
In dispenser-containers for wet tissues of a pop-up type conventionally used at home, wet tissues are packed in a cylindrical container or bottle. The cylindrical container or bottle is made of a synthetic resin and is blow molded or vacuum formed. Wet tissues wound in a roll shape are contained in the cylindrical container, and the top of the container is covered by an aluminum foil when the container is sold. A cap is disposed at the top of the cylindrical container. The cap has a small aperture for dispensing wet tissues therethrough formed therein and a closure for covering the aperture attached thereto.
When wet tissues contained in such a container or bottle are used, the cap is opened first, and then the aluminum foil is removed. Then, an end of wet tissues is passed through the aperture formed in the cap. Next, the cap is again put on the cylindrical container or bottle. Thereafter, wet tissues are taken out through the aperture.
Wet tissue wound in a roll shape has a lot of perforated lines extending transversely between both the longitudinal sides of the tissue and formed equidistantly along the longitudinal direction of the tissue. When an end of tissue is upwardly taken up upon use of wet tissue, the perforated line is torn when it passes through the aperture.
If wet tissue is not torn well at the perforated line, i.e., the tissue is cut at a portion before the perforated lines pass through the aperture and, accordingly, an end of the wet tissue drops down from the aperture, it is necessary for the end of tissue to be passed again through the aperture in accordance with steps similar to those described above, after the cap is opened.
Similarly, when tissues are not taken out well because of entanglement of wet tissue while the container is used, it is necessary to open the closure and to pull wet tissue upwardly, and then, the cap is opened and an end of wet tissue is passed again through the aperture. Thereafter, steps similar to those described above have to be done.
Apart from the dispenser-container of a bottle type, dispenser-containers for wet tissues for portable use have also been conventionally known.
The conventionally known dispenser-container of wet tissues for portable use usually contains about 10 tissues and is a flat bag. The dispenser-container has an opening and a resealable flap for covering the opening. For example, the resealable flap may be made of a sheet having pressure sensitive adhesive coated on one side thereof, and the sheet is attached to the dispenser-container so that it covers the opening formed on the dispenser-container.
Another dispenser-container of a bag type has a U-shaped slit formed thereon, and the region surrounded by the slit is used as a flap while a small piece of sheet, which is larger than the flap, which has pressure sensitive adhesive coated thereon and which has an opening for dispensing the wet tissues therethrough, is attached to the portion corresponding to the above-described slit from the inside of the dispenser-container.
Such a dispenser-container of a bag type contains wet tissues, which are separated in individual pieces, and accordingly, after one tissue is dispensed, the flap is closed until the next dispensing operation wherein the flap is opened again.
Manufacturing cost of the conventionally known containers for home use wet tissues are expensive, since blow molded containers or vacuum formed containers are used.
Further, in such a dispenser-container of a pop-up type, troublesome operation is required wherein the cap is removed and an end of wet tissues is passed through the aperture when wet tissues cannot be taken out well.
Beside, when wet tissues are not taken out well and are torn, a similar operation has to be repeated. Such operation is cumbersome. Especially, several turns of the last portion of wet tissues wound in a roll shape is easily taken up in one body, and they are often torn because they cannot pass through the aperture.
Contrary to this, the above-described dispenser-containers of a bag type for wet tissues can be manufactured at a cost lower than that required for the molded containers, because the dispenser-containers can be easily made of a flexible sheet material at a high manufacturing efficiency. The dispenser-container can be easily handled when it contains a small number of wet tissues as for portable use. However, the bag type dispenser-container is not suitable as a container for home use wet tissues, which usually contains 50 to 70 tissues, because it is not easy to handle.
More specifically, the following problems are inherent in the bag type dispenser-container made of a flexible sheet, the size of which is large, or the depth of which is large, and which has a large amount of tissues contained therein, in other words, the dispenser-container has a large distance between the surface, i.e., the upper surface, having an opening, and the opposite surface, i.e., the bottom surface. Wet tissues can be smoothly dispensed, and the flap can be smoothly resealed at the beginning of use of the dispenser-container, since the shape of the dispenser-container is firmly maintained by the wet tissues filled within the dispenser-container up to the opening. However, as the wet tissues are dispensed, the wet tissues cannot be smoothly dispensed from the dispenser-container since the number of the wet tissues remaining in the dispenser-container becomes small, and it is necessary for a user of wet tissues to insert fingers deeply into the dispenser-container.
Further, when the number of the wet tissues remaining in the dispenser-container becomes small, the flap cannot be smoothly removed from or attached to the dispenser-container due to the deformation of the dispenser-container or due to the waving of the sheet of the dispenser-container at the time of opening and closing of the opening. Especially, if the dispenser-container is distorted or the surface of the dispenser-container where the flap is to be attached is waved when the flap is resealed on the dispenser-container after the flap has been opened to dispense the wet tissues, the flap cannot be firmly attached to the dispenser-container, and a small clearance may be formed between the surface of the dispenser-container and the flap. The liquid contained in the wet tissues may evaporate through the small clearance, and accordingly, there is a problem that the wet tissues are dried.